Chapter 2
Natalie broke into a run as she headed for the open door. She was hoping she could sneak straight through the visitor center and out into the abbey grounds. Do that and she might not get told off yet again for-
“Natalie,” a man’s voice said loudly from behind the counter. “If this was Back to the Future, what would I be giving you right now?”
“A tardy slip,” she replied, turning to face her boss as he used the old joke yet again. “I’m sorry John but the weirdest thing happened this morning.”
“We will discuss it later. Cleo’s here.”
Natalie knew what that meant. The area manager was prowling the grounds looking for things to complain about. Everything had to be perfect. That meant she better be quick at getting into costume.
Pushing open the door to the staff room she squeezed into the tiny bathroom beyond, double checking the door was locked behind her. Then she undressed, slipping into the medieval washer-woman costume that hung from a hook on the back of the toilet door.
Once she was done, she ran a brush through her hair before heading out onto the site, ignoring the glare of her boss.
She could tell him the truth, that she got lost in her own thoughts staring out her bedroom window for twenty minutes, but it wasn’t exactly a great excuse. Better to just get straight to work.
Two minutes later she was in the warming house, sitting on the stone step, ready to talk to the visitors.
This was the part of the job she loved, getting to share her love of medieval history with the people who came to tour the abbey. She had barely sat down when a family appeared in front of her. “Morning,” she said in character. “Tis a bonny wee day for a tired old wretch such as me.”
“You meant to be a MacGregor or a MacCallister,” the father of the family said, pushing his glasses up with the tip of his finger.
“I’m Nellie MacGregor, servant to the monks of the abbey.”
“So,” the man began, folding his arms and getting ready. Natalie had seen this many times before. She knew what was coming. “You’re scum then? Right?”
“Actually, there’s a lot of conflicting evidence that suggests the MacCallisters were the crueler of the two clans.”
“That’s nonsense. This abbey was founded by the MacCallisters. I read it in the guidebook. They wouldn’t have let a MacGregor work here. You’ve got your history wrong.”
“I’m here aren’t I?” Natalie asked, winking at the kids who grinned sheepishly back. “The monks hired me to clean their cowls. They consider it sinful work better suited for a woman.”
“A woman of sin,” the man said, displaying a superior smile. “From a clan of scum.”
“I promise you, I’m not scum and nor are the MacGregors.”
The man took a step toward her, a cold look on his face. He turned and glanced at his children. “This woman is a liar, you two. Don’t believe a word she says.”
“I’m not a liar,” Natalie replied, refusing to be riled.
“I’m complaining about you,” he spoke over her. “Where’s the manager?”
“Can I help at all?” a voice said behind the group.
Natalie winced. She knew that voice all too well. Appearing in the doorway of the warming house was the rotund figure of the area manager.
“This woman is lying to my children and upsetting them. The guidebook specifically says it was the MacCallisters that founded this abbey and she’s telling me it was the MacGregors. Don’t you train your staff?”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean to confuse you, did you, Natalie?”
“I was just saying I’ve been doing some research and there’s contradictory information about it all.”
Cleo held up a hand. “Natalie, go to the office.”
“But I-”
“Go.” Her voice was icy cold.
Natalie went, not looking back as Cleo began apologizing to the visitors on her behalf.
Should she have kept her mouth shut? What was more important, telling the truth or keeping the peace?
John was waiting for her in the office. “Natalie,” he said, opening his laptop as she entered. “Cleo just radioed. Don’t sit down, this won’t take long.”
“Listen, I know how it looks but-”
“We’re going to have to let you go, Natalie.”
“What? But why?”
“Do I need to list the reasons? Late three times this week, arguing with the visitors, refusing to do what Cleo and I tell you. Are you a historian?”
“What? I don’t see what that has to do about anything.”
“Answer the question. Are you a historian?”
“No, I’m not a-”
“Correct. You’re not a historian. You go around correcting people as if you know everything about the Middle Ages. You don’t know anything.”
“But that’s not true.”
“See, there you go again, defying authority. You need to learn when to keep your mouth shut, young lady. Now I’ve spoken to Cleo and she’s given me the authority to pay you in lieu of giving notice. Go change out of that costume and then go home.”
“But I don’t want to go home. I like working here.”
“You should have thought of that before you started bad mouthing the guidebook.”
“But-”
“This conversation is over, Natalie. We’re done here.”
Natalie opened her mouth and then closed it. In the hours that followed she thought of a dozen great lines she could have said but in the moment all she could manage was, “Fine.”
She walked out of the office and closed the door behind her. Fired from her job. Unemployed because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
She headed into the staff room and changed back into her normal clothes.
She would miss the place. Sure, she hadn’t really made any friends working there but the site itself was beautiful and getting to work somewhere with so much history was hard to beat.
She drove home, trying not to be angry It was just so unfair. The countryside rolled away but she barely saw it. A month’s pay in lieu of notice. How long would that last?
She was going to have to start looking for work straight away. And get the book finished, stop procrastinating. Prove the MacGregors weren’t as bad as they’d been portrayed through history.
She got home an hour later, parking on the street, the drive taken up by the cars of her housemates. So, they were all home for once. She didn’t think to wonder why.
Unlocking the door, she heard laughter and conversation, but it stopped as soon as she called out, “I’m back.” She leaned down, picking the mail up off the doormat.
“Natalie,” Karen said, sticking her head out from the dining room. “Can we have a word?”
“Can we do it later. I’m having a very bad day.”
“It’s kind of important, yeah? Come on through.”
She walked down the hall and into the dining room, feeling a growing sense of dread.
The others were sitting around the table. None of them were smiling. “We’ve been talking,” Karen said, motioning to an empty chair. “And we think it might be for the best if you moved out.”
“What? Why?” Natalie began to wonder if this was a nightmare. Nothing this bad could happen to a person in one day.
Winnie took over. “You don’t fit in, Natalie. We thought you’d come out clubbing with us and stuff, but you just sit in your room not talking to anyone. Last night you really spoiled our buzz.”
“But you know I’ve been working on my book.”
“See,” Karen pointed at her. “That’s it right there. You’ve been writing that book of yours forever when you could have been having fun with us. You’re only young once.”
“I’m twenty-five.”
“Exactly. You should be partying, getting laid, going wild.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Then maybe find somewhere more suitable. We’ve rung the landlord and told him. We thought a week to clear your stuff out would be more than enough time.”
“But-”
“I know you’re worrying about how we’ll afford the rent without you, but Winnie’s cousin is going to take your room so it’s all cool. She’s broken up with her boyfriend so it’s perfect really.”
“Do I have any say in this at all? Don’t I have any rights?”
Karen smiled sympathetically. “No written contract so not really. We’re cool though, yeah? Friends?”
“Oh yeah, great,” Natalie said, hating herself for doing so. She wanted to yell and scream at them about how unfair it all was but what was the point? They’d still throw her out. “I’ll probably move in with Greg. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Well, I wasn’t sure when to bring it up, but he dropped by earlier.”
She raised her eyebrows. He’d been avoiding her calls for the last week and now he’d suddenly shown up out of the blue.
“Yeah, he wanted to ask for his DVDs back if you find them. Said he’s sure you’ll find someone else eventually but if you could stop ringing him and leaving messages that would be great.”
“But…but he hasn’t broken up with me.”
“He was very much under the impression he had. Said it wasn’t you though, it was him. Needed some time to find himself. Thinks you’re great. That’s sweet, isn’t it?”
“No, that isn’t sweet. That’s the biggest cliché of all time. No, second biggest. The biggest would be saying we hoped we could still be friends.”
“Oh yeah, he said that as well.” Karen smiled. “Never mind. All the more time to work on your theory, right?”
“Yay,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her words. “Lucky me.”
So, she’d gone from employed to jobless and homeless in a day. Boyfriendless too. She looked down at the mail. There was a letter addressed to her. Was it going to tell her she had cancer? That seemed all that was left.
She took the letter through to her room. The laughter and conversation resumed almost at once. She closed her door, leaning back against the wood before taking several deep breaths, her eyes closed.
When she opened them again, she felt calmer, her hands no longer shaking. Everything happens for a reason. That was what her parents always used to tell her. But then they died in a car crash. What was the reason for that?
She tore open the letter and managed a half smile. It was from her agent.